Choosing Medals for Your Club: Metal, Plastic or Wood
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Metal medals last longest and look traditional, plastic medals are the cheapest at high volumes, and wooden medals are light to wear and engrave cleanly with a club name or logo. The right choice depends on how long the medals need to last, how many you need and how much detail the design has.
Metal, plastic and wood compared
| Factor | Metal | Plastic | Wood |
|---|---|---|---|
| Durability | Highest. Resists scratches and knocks | Can scratch or crack | Can mark or scratch. Ours are for indoor use only |
| Weight | Heaviest | Light | Light to wear for a whole event |
| Customisation | Detailed designs, usually with a set-up cost | Easy to print in many colours | Text and logos laser-engraved in one tone |
| Cost | Usually the highest | Usually the lowest in large quantities | Depends on size and quantity |
| Look | Classic and formal | Bright, can look less prestigious | Natural oak veneer with an engraved finish |
When wooden medals suit a club
Wooden medals suit sports days, fun runs, club presentations and school events where each medal should carry the event name, a position or a logo, and where weight matters because participants wear them for a long time. Ours are laser-engraved, so the text does not fade, and every medal can carry a different name.
When to choose another material
Metal suits awards that will be handled, displayed outdoors or kept for decades, and designs with fine detail or several colours. Plastic suits very large events where the lowest cost per medal matters most. Wooden medals are for indoor use only, so keep them out of the rain and away from damp.
What our wooden medals are made from
Our medals are made from 4mm FSC-certified oak veneered MDF, laser-engraved to order in our workshop in North Wales and supplied on a ribbon or lanyard. They are not plywood, even though budget medals are often searched for as plywood medals. For the full comparison with other materials, see are wooden medals more sustainable than metal or plastic.
Choosing wooden medals for your event
- 1st, 2nd and 3rd place medals for podium sets at clubs and events
- Medals with your own text and logo for club presentations
- Budget 40mm medals for large orders where cost matters most
- School awards for sports days and end-of-term presentations
- Rosettes by occasion for shows and competitions
- All wooden medals, trophies and rosettes
Bulk discounts are applied automatically at checkout: 10% off from 20 units, 15% from 50, 20% from 100, 25% from 250, 30% from 500 and 35% from 1,000. All items are made to order. Dispatch time is shown at checkout. UK orders via Royal Mail Tracked 24. International via Royal Mail International Tracked.
Frequently asked questions
Which medal material is best for a club?
Metal is best for awards that must last for decades, plastic for the lowest cost at very high volumes, and wood for lightweight medals engraved with a name or logo. Most clubs choose on durability and cost per medal.
Are wooden medals durable?
Wooden medals can mark or scratch more easily than metal, and ours are for indoor use only. Kept dry, they last well as keepsakes.
Can wooden medals have a club logo?
Yes. Our medals take a logo upload and your own text, laser-engraved in one tone. Logos can be colour or black and white — we will convert colour logos for engraving.
Is there a minimum order for wooden medals?
No. Our medals can be ordered singly or in packs of 10, 50 and 100, with bulk discounts applied automatically from 20 units.